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Villa 3S, Love Architecture, Graz, Austria

A beautiful site, just outside of Graz, with a very restrictive development plan and a very ambitious budget formed the starting point for the planning of Love Architecture partner architect’s own home. Simple yet complex, clear and yet playful, light and optimistic, small and large at the same time. A place that architecturally is, without being too demanding of people, unconventional, yet very special and should be the everyday home for Bernhard Schönherr and his family.

One of the basic ideas was to connect flawlessly the relatively large plot of land and the living room, ie make the border between house and garden as indistinguishable as possible. That meant many subtle and ambiguous boundaries and transitions between the interior and the exterior: large glazing with big sliding doors, terraces leading into the property and leaving covered areas at these boundaries to help blur the line.

Another challenge was the relatively rigid construction plan with a gabled roof and a prescribed inclination standard. A coated folding started from the seat pedestal to the south terrace and the outer walls, the roof continued over the structure and in this way it forms a “saddle roof” without appearing as the conventional pitched roof one can see in many houses of Central Europe. This folding was spatially differentiated in each area, making the entire complex even more visually stimulating. The resulting space and perspective makes the house appear completely different from every angle.

The rooms have a ceiling height of up to four meters, not usual again for Central Europe houses. Inside the layout is organized around a central main room for cooking, eating and living. Large sliding doors between the individual rooms that combine when opened to a flowing path throughout the rooms. Each room has its intimacy and particularity, either on its own or expanding by its outdoor access. For example the bath has its own terrace with outdoor shower, which are only separated by wide double doors. Thus, the facility, weather permitting of course, can redouble its area.

The construction is solid: brick and concrete walls and a reinforced concrete roof. The roof is covered with wood. The shaded part of the roof connects it optically with the terraces into a whole.

How to: Accessorize the Bathroom Simply

With the holidays closing in, you are no doubt rushing around following every online post on how to get your home ready for holiday house guests, whether by cleaning, decorating, readying the guest room or any other number of things you could be doing.
We’re sure the bathroom has already been considered by you, but we wanted to offer a few more tips in case you have forgotten about this retreat for you and high-traffic area for guests. The thing about bathrooms is, you can do the simplest of things but make a big impact. Here are a few ideas:
Vase plus flowers Classic. Fresh. Symbolic. Really easy to do (and cheap–Anh-minh put one in her bathroom once for $5). If this is your only decoration in the space, choose a really interesting vase that has a lot of personality or is made of an unexpected material (we’re digging the natural wood vases of Brian David Johnsonright now).

Really awesome hand towel Seriously, find something very clever and folks won’t soon forget your bathroom. Lots of great Etsy shops sell great-looking tea towels and hand towels with awesome designs. We saw some with seafood, life advice, self-confidence pick-me-ups and architecture.

Unexpected accessories Maybe it’s your collection of vintage Victorian toys. Or a tangerine felted bowl of cotton balls. Or colorful mustache mugs. Or something else that only you would know or love. Something that will be a conversation starter and stick in the memory.

Snow causes Metrodome roof collapse

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Winter weather shuts down the Midwest

A powerful storm that unleashed snow and strong winds across the upper Midwest has left behind dangerously cold temperatures. The weekend storm closed major highways in several states, canceled flights and collapsed the roof of the Metrodome.

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Video: Video shows Metrodome collapse

A powerful storm dumps mounds of snow in Minneapolis, collapsing the roof of the Minnesota Vikings' stadium. Msnbc's Milissa Rehberger reports. (Other)

Video: Storms buries Midwest, collapses stadium roof

The winter-like blast powered eastward Sunday, leaving at least one person dead, snarling roads, crippling air travel and even collapsing the Metrodome’s roof. NBC’s Michelle Franzen reports. (Nightly News)

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Video: 6 U.S. soldiers killed in Afghan attack

A suicide bomber drove a van packed with explosives into a building at an outpost in the south, collapsing a wall and burying troops. NBC’s Atia Abawi reports. (Nightly News)

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Video: What drove Madoff’s son to suicide?

Mark Madoff was never charged with a crime, but his involvement in his father’s business raised constant suspicion. CNBC’s Scott Cohn reports. (Nightly News)

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Video: Madoff's son found dead on infamous day

According to officials, Mark Madoff – who first alerted police to the multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme – hanged himself in his Manhattan apartment on Saturday, the second anniversary of his father’s arrest. CNBC’s Scott Cohn reports. (Nightly News)

Video: Family, friends mourn Elizabeth Edwards

Hundreds gathered in Raleigh, N.C., to remember the woman who pushed past the troubles and tragedies of her life to establish a public identity all her own. NBC’s Michelle Kosinski reports. (Nightly News)

Video: Winter-like blast leaves mark on Midwest

A day of heavy snow and strong winds created blizzard conditions that snarled traffic across the region and set a record in Minnesota’s Twin Cities. NBC’s Michelle Franzen reports. (Nightly News)

Video: Police probe blasts that killed 1 in Stockholm

According to officials, the explosions occurred about 200 yards apart in the busy shopping center of the Sweden’s capital city. NBC’s Lester Holt reports. (Nightly News)

Video: Knox delivers tearful declaration of innocence

Addressing the court in fluent Italian, the 23-year-old American argued that she is the victim of an enormous mistake. NBC’s Keith Miller reports. (Nightly News)

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A hometown tribute to the actor who starred in “It’s a Wonderful Life” could use a little help, and for residents’ sake, they’re hoping that life imitates art. NBC’s John Yang reports. (Nightly News)

Video: Plunging temperatures follow Midwest snow

Heavy snow and strong winds created blizzard conditions that set a record in Minnesota’s Twin Cities. NBC’s Michelle Franzen, along with Scott Williams and Mike Bettes of the Weather Channel explain where the storm is heading, and how long the cold snap will last. (Today Show)

Video: Bloomberg on 2012: ‘No way, no how’

The New York City mayor tells NBC’s David Gregory he’s “not looking at the possibility of running” for president, and that there’s no chance he will change his mind. (Meet the Press)

Video: Families ‘relieved’ to hear from detained hikers

Laura Fattal – whose son Josh remains in custody in Iran along with Shane Bauer – describes her brief phone conversation she had with her son Josh over Thanksgiving weekend. (Today Show)

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Kate Gosselin and her brood are joining the Palins in Alasaka for an outdoor camping extravaganza that has “ratings gold” written all over it. NBC’s Lee Cowan reports. (Today Show)

Video: Engagement photos offer different sides of royal pair

Taken by Princess Diana’s favorite photographer, Mario Testino, the images paint a portrait that’s unlike royal engagement shots of years past. (Today Show)

Video: Goolsbee ‘predicting passage’ of tax deal

White House economic adviser Austan Goolsbee tells David Gregory that he expects the president’s compromise with Republicans to successfully make its way through Congress. (Meet the Press)

Video: Goolsbee: Tax deal can bring down jobless rate

White House economic adviser Austan Goolsbee discusses the possibility that the president’s tax compromise will have an impact on the unemployment rate. (Meet the Press)

Video: Snow collapses Metrodome roof

The roof of the Metrodome in Minneapolis collapses under the weight of nearly two feet of snow. The Weather Channel's Scott Williams reports live from the stadium. (Other)

Video: Holbrooke in critical condition

U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke is in critical condition after heart surgery. Msnbc's Lynn Berry talks with military analyst Col. Jack Jacobs. (Other)

Vermont's Sen. Sanders rails against tax deal

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) made a marathon 8 1/2-hour Senate speech railing against President Barack Obama's proposed tax cut compromise. The 69-year-old said 'tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires who don't need it' were unconscionable.

Military releases C-17 crash footage

The military has released video showing the moments just before a C-17 crashed in Alaska. Four people were killed in the July incident. A pilot's overly aggressive maneuvering and overconfidence were blamed in an investigative report.

Blizzard socks midwest

A powerful snowstorm hit the upper Midwest on Saturday with as much as 20 inches of snow, forcing road closings in five states. It also postponed Sunday's NFL game between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings.

Amateur video shows twin blasts in Stockholm

Two blasts that shook a busy shopping street in central Stockholm were an act of terrorism, officials said Sunday, in what appeared to be a suicide bombing.

Royal photos show a loving William and Kate

Prince William and Kate Middleton look relaxed, poised and very much in love in official photos released to mark their engagement. The pictures were taken by fashion photographer Mario Testino late last month.